One of the most important aspects of buying a home is the process of viewing possible purchases. When doing so it is important to take a professional attitude towards the experience although it can be quite easy to get caught up in the emotion that surrounds such an event. And justifiably so! This is an exciting time and emotions can run high, especially when there is a lot of money involved, and your "base of operations" for the future. So let's think about what makes a good checklist for home viewings and how you can best optimize your viewing opportunities to ensure that you make the right choice in a new home.
A good way to start is by finding out about properties before you even go to view them. Education is one of the most valuable things you can have in the home market. Education sets the masses apart from those who get the really good deals because they have done their homework. The website where you first found the listing will supply some brief info and usually you can find info sheets on the sign in front of the house that supplies a wealth of information about the home in question. This will enable you to have a better idea of what you are dealing with up front.
Once you are at the home TAKE YOUR TIME! You should be free to wander about the home and take as much time as you like (within reason) Carefully inspect each and every room and the property itself. This will definitely not be as thorough as an inspection but all the same, you have to be happy with what you see or the home isn't right for you.
Don't be afraid to ask the important questions. There is really no such thing as a "wrong question" when it comes to buying a home. You have the right as a potential buyer to know everything about the home and its history. You should pay special attention to any renovations and improvements that have been done recently. Are they covering anything up that could be an issue in the future? If so then you have the right to know! Make sure that all your queries get answered. If the listing agent or owner is hesitant to answer a specific question then there might be something that they don't want to tell you.
Take some time to go over the viewing game plan with your realtor before looking at any home. The better prepared you are for the viewing, the more you should be able to discover about the home.
